Show I TELEGRAM FICTION The Mill House Home Murder I By J. J s S. S FLETCHER FLETCHER- SYNOPSIS James owner o ot of Mills Is murdered Ronald Camberwell private detective had bad been asked by James to make a a. report on Sugden his nephew and London manager Sugden his bis brother Ramsden Ramsden Ramsden Rams- Rams den manager o of the mill and their mother had been opposed to James James' approaching marriage Police Superintendent Beverley suspects Sugden of or the murder He was seen In the neighborhood at the time of the crime although ostensibly bound for tor London and Sugden knew that James who had been Informed that Sugden's books needed examination was about to go to London for tor that purpose Old Prissy Mallison says she saw a a. ghost the stormy night of ot the murder murder murder-a a figure In whitish clothes and Sugden Is known to us use a whitish Whitish raincoat XII You think Im I'm on the wrong tack in n suspecting Sugden Beverley said aid Clean out I 1 dont don't say youre you're on the wrong tack ack nor that youre you're clean out Beverley Beverley Bev- Bev erley I replied I r think theres there's thereso no o doubt that Sugden after fter leaving for London that Monay Monday Monday Mon- Mon day ay afternoon left his train before it t had gone many miles and came back ack to But if he came ame back with the distinct purpose purpose pur- pur pose ose of murdering his uncle and did die murder him then hes he's the clumsiest murderer Ive I've ever encountered You mean because he went off from rom Shipton by the he asked exactly what I do mean I answered Went off from a station station sta- sta tion ion where hed he'd be sure to be well wel known and as youve you've already found out ut where he was seen by two reputable reputable table able witnesses If he didn't come back to murder murder mur- mur der er James what was wasis his is object in coming back That I replied is just what I should like to know And perhaps I shall find out Um Urn said said- Beverley Stiff job Camberwell Well I like sailing on ona ona a straight course I r think Im I'm on onne one ne now I feel convinced that Sugden Sugden Sugen Sug- Sug den en did for his uncle and I Shall hall follow ollow it up Dont do anything until youve you've seen een and heard William I said aid What you want is to find out ut what motive Sugden had William Wilam Wilham Wil- Wil liam ham am may be able to supply evidence that will show what that motive was When will be he down here He should be here now I said Ed Eddison dison when he wrote to him last night Ight told him to leave at once bringing everything with him You had lad better come back with me to Eddison's and see if has got here ere William Arrives We were in by that time and Beverley drove to Eddison's Eddison's Eddison's Eddi- Eddi sons son's house William had arrived and was with Eddison Inthe in inthe the le dining room Halstead was with them hem Eddison suggested to Beverley Beverley Beverley Bever Bever- I ley that he should dine with the rest of us and after dinner take part art in the Investigation Beverley keen ceen enough to do anything that would establish motive on Sugden part readily fell in with the suggestion and housed his hiscar hiscar car ar in Eddison's garage Presently the he five of us dined t together gether avoiding avoiding avoid- avoid ing ng all alt mention of the purpose of our ur meeting and when dinner was over ver adjourned to Eddison's library to o begin our work And there William William Wil Wil- liam a quiet reserved little littleman littleman littleman man who had taken small part in our talk at dinner and seemed to be much oppressed by his mission opened a suitcase which he had lugged into the room and arid from it took ook and laid out on on a table the books and papers which he had brought from the London office But before we turned to these Eddison wanted to question William things got uneasy about at Gresham street I suppose Wil ViI William liam ham he began That was what made you write to Mr Marten Marten- royde Id Td been getting uneasy for sometime sometime some sometime time sir replied William I I 1 knew Mr Jr wasn't attending to things lings as he should have done sir You Tou see hed he'd too much power Mr lr very rarely came up to o town When he did hed he'd only just look in at o r office l He e scarcely ever looked at the books hed he'd ed take Mr 11 Sugden's word for anything If he ever asked me a question he paid next to no attention attention attention atten atten- tion to whatever answer I made him Im I'm bound to say Mr Eddison that Mr was careless What did you do inquired Hal Hal- stead What was your job To look after the stockroom sir Nothing else It was through that tha that I began to get uneasy Why exactly Because I felt certain that Sugden Sugden Sugden Sug Sug- den now and then sold stock ant and never accounted for it Of course all Id I'd to do was to carry out his orders and deliver stuff on his in in- in take a bit of looking into said Eddison Well now your letter letter letter let let- ter to Mr seems to that you didn't think Sugden's Sugden's Sugden's Sug Sug- dens den's life in London was all aU that i it should have been Before we ge geon get geton geton on to these books is there any particular particular particular par par- fact or matter you want to tell us about Well Vell there is a matter that I know of that's perhaps naught to todo todo todo do with the business replied William WilHam Wilham Wil Wil- Ham liam slowly A private affair buit but bu it may have something to do with Sugden's goings I dont don't know if you Mr Eddison and you Mr Halstead remember a young woman named Louie Sparks who was employed employed employed em em- as a clerk in the office here at mill and who disappeared disappeared disappeared dis dis- dis- dis appeared suddenly about 18 months ago There was some talk about abou it at the time I remember when I came down here for a holiday summer summer summer sum sum- mer before last A very pretty gir girl came from Leeds way About Louie Sparks I 1 remember her said Halstead She was a typist in James Mar Mar- office at the mill She went off without giving any notice I remember James' James talking to me about it A smart lass Shed She'd been beena a sort of favorite of his and hed he'd given her very good wages Well I dont don't want to say anything anything anything any any- thing that would seem to reflect on ona ona ona a young womans woman's character Heg Heg- but the fact gus said diffidently is Ive I've seen Louie Sparks with Mr Sugden Sugden twice They seemed very thick too Where did you see em asked Eddison Once was one Sunday morning in Hyde park The other time was at the fhe theater the theater the Shaftesbury Id I'd been to another near by and I Iwas Iwas Iwas was co coming ng past the Shaftesbury as ashe the he audience came out and I saw Sugden and this Louie Loule Sparks They were in evening dress that time regular Id I'd a close look at em em as they were getting into a taxicab There was a brief silence after this Then Halstead spoke Happen Sugden's wed her he said If It he has hed he'd hear his mothers mother's voice about it I mean ithe if it he le wedded this lass on the sly Nobody offered any comment on that hat and Eddison n turned once more more to William Where does Sugden live in London London London Lon Lon- don he asked Lodge I mean I know where he did lodge replied and I know that he doesn't lodge there now I know naught about his present private address in London Ramsden must have known it observed Beverley Ramsden got in n immediate touch with him as early as he could the morning after their uncles uncle's death More About Sugden Eddison turned to me If Ii we could get that address he said your people in London could make an inquiry or two there CamberwelL We Ve ought to know if this Is young lady ady is there and if she's Mrs Sugden Sugden Sug Sug- den Well now then a lets let's get to work on these books Pull your chairs round that table and nd well we'll make a thorough job of It i. f. f William you'll have to explain everything To begin with keep to the he main points the really important tant ant points We Ve drew up our chairs and William Wilam Wilham Wil- Wil liam ham am began his task It was then approaching 9 o'clock Two hours later Eddison Interrupted interrupt- interrupt ed d matters to ring for his housekeeper housekeeper house- house keeper and order some refresh refresh- ments Midnight came and we were till still following from one I transaction to another still laboriously laboriously labori- labori tracing entries in ledgers and cash ash books and stock books and only too often seeking for entries which were not to be found Not until 5 o'clock in the morning did didle the le end come But when it came it was decisive There was no doubt whatever that for some little time me Sugden had been helping himself to stock and cash Beverley was now quite sure he had lad got what he wanted wante James had signed his own death eath warrant when he told Sugden that hat he should be in tn n London shortly and nd would then examine the books at t Gresham street Anyway Bever- Bever Icy Jey ey should now put all the facts he knew mew before his superiors it would be e for them to decide on the next step cp Continued Monday Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |